Skies open up, bring ruin for farmers

State- wide rains damage standing wheat, gram crops

BHOPAL: Rain coupled with hailstorm that has swept the entire state has damaged the standing Rabi crops, especially wheat, grams, pea, lentils, pigeon pea, lathyrus and others. Rabi crops were mature enough for harvesting and under such circumstances rains have damaged the standing crops.

Various districts like Bhopal, Raisen, Vidisha, Hoshangabad, Betul, Sagar, Sehore and others experienced rain and hailstorm which damaged the standing Rabi crops. On Tuesday, Khandwa recorded 6cm rain, Chinchauli recorded 3cm, Atner recorded 2cm, Betul, Ratlam and Mahidpur recorded 1cm each.

Bhopal recorded 2.3cm in the last 24 hours. Weather man forecast for hailstorm in all the divisions of the state in the next 24 hours. Former agriculture director GS Kausal, talking to Free Press, said, “ Generally rain is good for crops but at this stage when rabi crops are ready for harvesting, rain is bane. Rabi crops like wheat, grams, and pea have completely damaged.

Hailstorm has damaged the standing crops.” He said, “ Now farmers should cultivate summer crops like Mung, groundnuts, Urad and vegetables as these

crops will benefit the farmers and compensate their loss to grater extent. Government help is not sufficient to compensate the farmers so it is better to take initiatives themselves to cope with the situation”.